Whereas the Safe Restart Agreement funding was vital in enabling municipalities, including the City of Burlington, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, maintain critical services, meet our responsibility to balance our budgets while maintaining the health and safety for members of the public and staff; and
Whereas when the Province of Ontario entered Modified Step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen in January 2022, the restrictions forced the closure of municipal indoor recreational facilities and amenities, which resulted in the cancellation of programs and facility rentals until January 26, 2022; and
Whereas the City of Burlington is forecasting significant revenue losses for 2022 (in excess of $5.8 million), prior to the most recent closures in January 2022 particularly for services such as transit, recreation facilities and programs and parking operations; and
Whereas the City of Burlington is also forecasting continuing COVID-19 related expenditures to maintain service delivery and comply with the regulations; and
Whereas the full effect of the pandemic will continue to be felt in municipalities in 2022, well beyond the funding provided under the existing Safe Restart Agreement;
Therefore be it resolved that Burlington City Council calls on the Governments of Canada and Ontario to provide additional Safe Restart Agreement funding support for municipalities in 2022; and
That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister; the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier; the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Provincial Minister of Finance; Burlington MPs, MPPs, FCM, AMO, OBCM, Halton Region and the Towns of Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville.